


Partners in Food Crime

by MochiCloud



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 食戟のソーマ | Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, But I like cute fluff, Crossover, Cuz i can, F/M, Fluff, It's actually platonic soutakumegu, M/M, Multi, Shokugeki with Pokémon Food, Soutaku if you squint, Soutakumegu, Soutakumegu being soft to each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-25 11:16:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20723321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MochiCloud/pseuds/MochiCloud
Summary: Just Soutakumegu being childhood friends and hanging out together





	1. Soutakumegu Reunites

**Author's Note:**

> Okay first of all, there are some changes I would like to notify my readers.
> 
> Legal age to own your first Pokémon and starting your Pokémon Journey is 12 in this AU.
> 
> Souma and Takumi calls Tadokoro Megumi by her first name as they're supposed to be close in this story.
> 
> Shokugekis exists in this world of Pokémon.
> 
> Pokémon Chefs are very much like Trainers. But their goal is different from Trainers that seek the Champion seat.

Yukihira Souma, Takumi Aldini, and Tadokoro Megumi were childhood friends born in a small town called Pallet in the Kanto Region.

The three of them aspire to be the best chef in the world and bring glory back to their region. 

The Yukihiras has a cosy diner opened up in Viridian City, which is only a short route away from Pallet Town. Since Souma does not have his own Pokémon, he follows his father, Saiba Joichiro and his Nidoking through the tall grass to get through Route 1 and safely to Viridian City. Ever since he was 5, Souma had been helping out in Yukihira Diner until he was 12. When he was 12, Joichiro decided to temporarily close down the diner to travel the world. He urged Souma to go on his Pokémon journey as he is of age to get his very first Pokémon. And that is how he was standing in front of Professor Senzaemon's lab in Pallet Town.

The Aldinis have a restaurant, Trattoria Aldini opened up in Saffron City, the biggest city in Kanto after Takumi's uncle moved from Alola. Hence, the Aldinis specialized in Alola Cuisine, allowing Kanto citizens to have a taste of Alola without travelling there. At 5 years old, Takumi and Isami, his twin brother moved to Saffron City in order to help with their family business. Until Takumi was 12, his father urged him to go travel around the world as there are much more things to learn compared to staying at their restaurant. Isami was unable to go on a Pokémon journey because of a sickness they never predicted. Now, Takumi was on his way to Professor Senzaemon on his father's Pidgeot to get his first Pokémon.

The Tadokoros used to own an Inn in Pallet Town, allowing tourists to stay in their humble little small cozy town. But as business was lacking after the initial craze of the legendary trainers Red and Green had died down, Megumi, at the age of 5, and her mother moved their Inn to Cerulean City. Megumi, with a kind and warm heart, along side with her sincere mother, attracted lots of tourists to their Inn with their good food and hospitality. However, when the staffs of the Inn were getting older and unable to produce anymore good food, Megumi wanted to take over. She learnt the ways of cooking their signature dish with hard work and strong determination. At age 12, Megumi's mother saw her daughter grew and pushed her to go on a journey instead. With a determined heart to improve her cooking skills to help her mother's Inn, Megumi finds her way back to her birth town on her mother's Fearow.

"Welcome! This is a surprise!" Professor Senzaemon was a old man with a wrinkled face and needs a walking stick to walk.

"Long time no see, Aldini-kun, Tadokoro-chan." The professor addressed the two 12 year olds that had just touched town on Pallet.

"I can't believe we decided to visit Professor on the same day and same time!" Souma grinned, his dorky attitude still the same as ever.

"It really has been a long time since we met. I am really happy to see the two of you again, Aldini-kun, Yukihira-kun." Megumi shyly greeted the two boys in a soft voice.

"Why are we back to last name basis? Just call us like what you used to, Megumi." Souma said nonchalantly.

"It's been 7 years, Yukihira. You can't expect people to warm up to you immediately." Takumi interjected, raising his finger and poked into Souma's chest.

"But you looked pretty warmed up to me already, Takumi." Souma teased, succeeding in making Takumi flustered and eventually turning away from him. Megumi snickered. They were still the dorky two boys she knew.

"I am pretty sure the three of you visited me for a reason." Senzaemon interjected.

"Yes! I am here to get my first Pokémon! Then I will travel the world, and become the greatest chef in history!" Souma declared.

"Hey! That would be me! I will be the greatest chef and bring pride back to our restaurant!" Takumi snapped his head back to Souma and argued.

"Bring it on, Takumi!" Souma wasn't taking the rivalry seriously and laughed it off.

"Tadokoro-chan, you too?" Senzaemon asked.

"Uhhh... I just want to help my mother's Inn to become the best in our region." Megumi said shyly.

"Oh come on! Why the best in the region if you can make it the best in the world? You can do it, Megumi!" Souma clapped her back so hard that she almost fell forward.

"Oi! Yukihira! That's no way to treat a girl!" Takumi, having grown up in a restaurant, learnt everything about being a gentleman and manners.

"Oh is it? Sorry Megumi!" Souma apologized as he laughed again, annoying Takumi greatly.

"Since the three of you have such great ambitions, I would recommend the three of you to go straight to the Hoenn region." Senzaemon said.

"Hoenn? Isn't that quite far?" Takumi questioned. He had a few customers from the Hoenn region, and he thinks it's a beautiful city just by the people itself.

"Nothing a plane can't achieve, boy." Senzaemon smiled.

"Why Hoenn?" Megumi asked.

"Kanto and Johto do have berries. But do you know that Hoenn has an even larger variety of berries and even a Pokémon candy called the Pokeblock? They even have Cooking Contests." At that, the boys' eyes lit up.

"Cooking Contests?" Souma asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes, they're called Pokémon Cooking Contest. Basically you compete with other competitors to earn a gem. By getting the gems of the major contests, you get regarded and recognized as an elite cook in Hoenn. My daughter and her family has been living there for quite some time now. You can learn more about it there." Senzaemon said.

"Awesome! That will be my goal for now!" Souma declared, with Takumi equally blazing with anticipation beside him.

"But right now, the three of you has to choose your starter Pokémon. Here." Senzaemon headed to the back of his lab and pulled out three Pokeballs.

"I was here first, let me choose!" Souma was practically bubbling with excitement.

"Baka! Ladies first! Megumi-chan, you can choose first." Takumi slapped Souma's head mercilessly before pulling him back.

"Ah... Thank you, Takumi-kun." Megumi smiled as Senzaemon released all three of the Pokeballs.

"Bul! Char! Squir!" The Pokémon cries came one by one as they materialised in front of the three.

"Now, which one would you choose, Tadokoro-chan?" Senzaemon asked.

"Hmmm..." Megumi carefully looked over the starter trio. The three were all looking at her expectantly.

"This." Megumi made her decision as she squat down to pick her Pokémon up.

"Bulbar!" The tiniest of the starters cried happily as it squiggle in Megumi's arms.

"Why?" Senzaemon asked, curious. This Bulbasaur was unusually small, but it was healthy. 

"It's the smallest, and I could feel a certain connection to it." Megumi smiled at her Bulbasaur who returned her smile.

"Good choice. Now, Yukihira-kun, Aldini-kun, please choose yours." Senzaemon urged as the other two jumped at them to be chosen.

"I've made up my mind." Takumi declared.

"Me too." Souma grinned at the blond.

The two boys bend down simultaneously and picked up, fortunately different Pokémon.

"He reminds me of your hair." Takumi commented, looking at the Charmander in Souma's arms.

"That Squirtle has the same shade as your eyes, Takumi." Souma returned the comment.

"Oh well, at least it's a happy ending." Takumi closed his eyes and half smiled.

"Now that the three of you have chosen your starter Pokémon, take these dexes and be on your way!" Senzaemon handed each of them a Pokédex. Souma a red one, Takumi a yellow one, and Megumi a blue one.

"Thank you Professor!" Megumi politely bowed and the other two followed the gesture quickly, not wanting to be rude.

"I wish the three of you good luck!" Senzaemon laughed heartily as the three exited the lab.

"Uhhh, how do we get to the airport?" Souma asked as soon as they were out.

"On my father's Pidgeot." Takumi said as he pat the large bird Pokémon resting on the peaceful garden right outside the lab.

"On my mother's Fearow." Megumi smiled bashfully, carassing the feathers of the Fearow.

"But I don't have one! Dad's Nidoking can't fly!" Souma stared devastatedly at their bird Pokémon.

"Hmmm... Souma-kun, do you mind sharing with me?" Megumi asked, her face flushing red.

"Oh! You're a lifesaver, Tadokoro!" Souma brightened up and put his hand on Megumi's shoulder.

"Wait! If you're really going to share, then you should share with me and Pidgeot. That Fearow seems smaller. It would have a hard time handling both of your weight." Takumi pointed out, Fearow letting out a defeated whine while Pidgeot let out a confident chirp.

"You're willing to?" Souma raised his eyebrows.

"Just don't move about or we'll both end up falling into the sea." Takumi turned around so fast that Squirtle almost thought he was whisked away. Megumi looked at the embarrassed red tips of Takumi's ears and giggled.

"No problem!" Souma grinned confidently and climbed onto Pidgeot after Takumi. Megumi boarded Fearow swiftly and set Bulbasaur in front of her.

"Grab onto me Char!" Souma said as the little fire lizard nodded quickly and grabbed onto the front of Souma's hoodie.

"Let's kick off the road, Pidgeot!" Takumi ordered as Pidgeot gave a screeching cry and took off into the air, its strong wings beating. Fearow followed close behind, easily handling the weight of Megumi and Bulbasaur.


	2. Drop down on Slateport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As planned, Souma, Takumi, and Megumi landed in Hoenn. Exploration turns into a Shokugeki?! Did Souma get himself in trouble again?

"Look! I think that's Hoenn!" Souma pointed from behind Takumi. The red head's hands are situated on Takumi's shoulders. His breath blew across Takumi's neck, making him shiver.

"Y-Yeah, let's land there!" Takumi stammered and quickly point at the port of the region. Pidgeot and Fearow both gave a warning screech before nose diving down.

"We're crashing!!!!" Takumi cried in horror as they came closer to the ground.

"CAWWW!" Pidgeot suddenly switched gears and pulled up, landing safely on the beach.

"THAT WASN'T FUNNY PIDGEOT!" Takumi scolded as he breathed heavily.

"That was fun!" Souma's laugh rang in Takumi's ears as the blond embarrassingly realized that Souma's hands had travelled down and was grabbing onto Takumi's waist loosely.

"G-G-Get your hands off me!" Takumi slapped the red head's hands away roughly and clambered down Pidgeot. Unfortunately, in his haste, he tripped on air and fell face first into the sand.

"Ah! Takumi-kun! Are you alright?" Megumi had dropped down with Fearow and hurried over to the blond.

"Y-Yeah..." Takumi nodded as he silently spat out the sand that entered his mouth.

"Thanks for the ride, Pidgeot!" Souma climbed down Pidgeot and patted the bird on his head. Pidgeot chirped proudly in reply.

"Are you three, Yukihira, Aldini, and Tadokoro?" An unfamiliar voice intercepted their interaction as the three snapped their heads to the voice. A girl with short pink hair and coral eyes looked at them seriously. A Zubat flapping silently behind her.

"Yeah, we are." Souma crossed his hands behind his head casually as he replied. Takumi slowly got himself up from the sand and started swatting at his sand-dirtied clothes.

"I am Arato Hisako. Nakiri Erina-sama's secretary." The girl introduced herself.

"Who is Nakiri Erina?" Takumi asked.

"Erina-sama is Professor Senzaemon's granddaughter. I was tasked to present the three of you these PokeNav while you're here." Hisako answered, pulling out white devices from her book bag.

"This looks like a Pokegear mother has." Megumi noted as she accepted the device.

"It's called a PokeNav. There are several functions inside. You can figure it out yourself. I have to go now. Let's go, Zubat." Hisako relayed her message and left.

"What a weird girl." Souma shrugged as he looked at his PokeNav.

"Look! There is a match call function! Let's register each other!" Megumi spotted delightfully.

"Sure!" Takumi nodded and traded phone numbers with Megumi.

"Give me yours." Takumi turned back and stretched his hand out for Souma's PokeNav. Souma nodded and wordlessly gave Takumi his PokeNav. Takumi traded their numbers and helped Megumi get Souma's as well.

"Well now, let's see where we landed." Souma got his PokeNav back and started walking towards the city.

"Char! Keep up with me!" Souma called his little fire lizard who was tumbling on the sand with Takumi's Squirtle. Char squeaked before breaking apart from his friend and ran towards Souma.

"Wait for us, Yukihira!" Takumi shouted as he picked Uno, his Squirtle up and ran towards the red head with Megumi keeping up from behind.

"Woah!!! It's such a big place!" Megumi exclaimed as they walked up the steps to the city.

"Look at that! There's a market!" Souma pointed out at the right side of the city. There was a huge tented area where people were entering and exiting constantly.

"Seems like a busy place." Takumi commented.

"Let's explore!" Souma entered the market with exuberance flowing out of him.

"Souma-kun didn't change at all, right? Takumi-kun?" Megumi smiled softly.

"Yeah. We have to keep an eye on him though. Char is going to get lost at this rate." Takumi agreed and smiled affectionately. Megumi nodded and quickly joined up with the boys with small but quick strides.

"Yukihira! Look! They sell vitamins here for Pokémon!" As soon as Takumi entered the market, he quickly got as fired up as Souma, jumping from stall to stall.

"You haven't change either, Takumi-kun." Megumi sighed as she looked through the incenses the shopkeeper was selling. The faint but sweet smell of incenses was very alluring. Megumi thought of adding some to her cuisine.

"9,600 pokedollars?!" Megumi paled as she looked at the price. She barely had 1000 pokedollars on her. Megumi sighed and walked away from the stall.

"Bulba!" Her Bulbasaur cried from her arms.

"What's wrong, Saur?" Megumi asked. Saur looked at a faraway distance with a worried expression.

"Ahhhh!!!! Is Souma-kun picking a fight?!" Megumi screeched worriedly as she saw Souma arguing something with the shopkeeper selling vitamins. Takumi was standing at the side, sighing at Souma's antics.

"Challenge me to a Shokugeki! I don't have enough money to buy the vitamins but I will win it!" Souma declared.

"It's not that I don't want to challenge you to a Shokugeki, sir. Do you even have the ingredients to do it?" The shopkeeper asked meekly. He was intimidated by Souma's passion.

"Geh. I don't." Souma froze and fell into depression.

"Is only a Shokugeki that you want?" The crowd parted as the authoritative voice cut through the crowd.

"Erina-sama! Haven't you leave Slateport?" The shopkeeper bowed and addressed the girl with long blond hair and amethyst eyes.

"Soon." Erina replied.

"Erina? Isn't that the name of Professor Senzaemon's granddaughter?" Megumi appeared beside Takumi and asked.

"Yeah, she is." Someone from the crowd confirmed.

"Erina-sama must be staying for the Pokémon Cooking Contest." Someone said.

"Pokémon Cooking Contest?" Megumi blinked.

"You don't know? The three of you don't look local. The Pokémon Cooking Contest is another contest that is held in the Contest Hall just outside of here." A girl replied while pointing towards the end of the market.

"Yes, I am." Souma replied confidently.

"Then participate in the Pokémon Cooking Contest this evening. If you win, the Nakiri Family will supply a lifetime of vitamins to you." Erina fold her arms across her chest and said.

"Really? You said it!" Souma widened his eyes and grinned.

"There is only a 0.001% chance for you to win though." Erina flipped him off and exited the market.

"Just you wait!" Souma shouted after her.

"Hey, Yukihira! Are you serious?" Takumi rushed towards the red head and shook his shoulders.

"What?" Souma tilted his head.

"We just got here! And you're already joining a Pokémon Cooking Contest?" Takumi said, his tone increasingly high.

"Yeah, aren't you a little too reckless, Souma-kun?" Megumi nodded in agreement.

"I'm confident! I will not let Nakiri look down on me!" Souma declared. Takumi stared at him for awhile before sighing heavily.

"You're hopeless. Come on, we still have time before the contest starts. Let's go register first before renting the Pokémon Center's Kitchen to practice." Takumi releases Souma's shoulders and smiled.

"Are you not going to join?" Souma asked. Ever since the first time they met when they were 3 years old, Takumi would always have a one-sided rivalry with Souma in about every little thing, and hence, after learning that Souma would be helping out in their family's diner, Takumi decided not to lose to him and moved to Saffron City to help out in their family business as well.

"I heard from the locals that there was only one slot left." Takumi shrugged. Souma nodded understandingly.

"Let's not waste time and go!" Souma clapped both Takumi and Megumi's back and pushed them towards the exit.

In the end, all three of them had registered for a Cooking Contest Pass. But only Souma would be participating in this contest. 

"Why was the admin looking at us with a pitiful expression?" Megumi wondered as they walked to the kitchen of the Pokémon Center. After registering, they had booked a kitchen via Nurse Joy and was on the way there.

"Who knows?" Souma shrugged nonchalantly as he head straight to the kitchen.

As they reached their borrowed kitchen, Souma immediately took place behind the head chef counter as Char leapt up to the counter. He untied the white bandana around his wrist and tied it firmly around his forehead.

"Let's start!" Souma declared as he looked through the fridge.

"The admin said that there are two rounds to these contests. The first round is called the Themed Round. There will be a theme ingredient given to the participants. At the end of 1 hour, participants will have to serve up the themed dish. By the start of the 2nd round, two participants will be eliminated and the remaining two will go on to the 2nd round, the Free Dish, Shokugeki!" Megumi recited. At the end of her speech, she opened up her eyes and found Takumi and Souma already discussing about the dish he was going to make.

"You can bring 3 Pokémon with you. But you only have one. You can borrow Uno." Takumi suggested, his Squirtle high-fiving Charmander.

"Thanks, Takumi! They look fired up!" Souma commented, grinning at the two Pokémon.

"Souma-kun! I believe Saur can be of help too!" Megumi ran to their side and placed her Bulbasaur onto the counter to join her starter friends.

"Bulba!" Saur greeted her friends with two vines. Char and Uno shook each whip with both their hands.

"I won't let you guys down!" Souma grinned and punched both his friends' shoulders lightly.

...

That evening, after all the practice, it was finally time for Souma to participate in his first Cooking Contest.

"Takumi-kun, do you think Souma-kun will be alright?" Megumi asked worriedly as they sat amongst the audience.

"If it was the 3 years old me, I would say he would be fine. But this time, I think things are a bit different." Takumi answered as he took a look around him. The people around him were so hyped and excitement was brewing in the contest hall.

"Welcome everyone!!! My name is Kawashima Urara! And I will be your MC for today!!" A girl with long black hair and brown eyes appeared from the curtains. Her voice was amplified by the microphone held in her hands. The audience roared at her appearance.

"Now now... Today, things are a little exciting! We have 3 top tier chefs and a newbie participating! Will he be a dark horse?!" Urara's high pitched voice reverberated through the hall.

"Boo!! Boo!!!" Everyone was booing at the mention of a newbie among top tier chefs.

"Quiet down everyone! It's time to introduce our participants for today!" Urara screeched as she danced her way to the side of the stage.

"Here comes the first participant!" As Takumi squinted his eyes, he saw a silhouette behind the curtains of the first platform.

"Let's welcome... TSUKASA EISHI!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More characters added! I love some of the members of the previous Elite 10 so you'll see them quite often :)  
Oh, and Erina is not the main character in here.


	3. Tsukasa Eishi VS Akanegakubo Momo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first round of the Pokémon Cooking Contest Starts!

"TSUKASA-KUN!!!" The roar of fangirls echoed throughout the hall.

"Why does my home region have these kind of contests? They're so intimidating!" The curtains opened up to reveal a snowy white haired male, with equally white eyes and a purplish hint. With a shiver, the chef named Tsukasa Eishi waved with a slight tremble.

"Mah mah... You got to have some confidence in yourself if you're the top chef in Hoenn." A playful tone sounded from the second platform behind the curtains.

"Oh well, she came out already. This is our second contestant all the way from Alola! KOBAYASHI RINDOU!" Urara announced as the curtains drew back dramatically, revealing a strikingly red haired girl with slits as pupils.

"She reminds me of Souma-kun." Megumi blinked and commented.

"Right?" Takumi nodded, agreeing.

"RINDOU-CHAN! BE MY GIRLFRIEND!" Someone from the crowd shouted and Takumi cringed.

"Without further ado, let me do the honours and introduce you to the 3rd contestant from Kalos! AKANEGAKUBO MOMO!" 

"This is so not cute at all, right, Bucchi?" A purple haired girl that had part of her hair tied into cat ears walked out. She squeezed the Meowstic stuffed toy in her arms and pouted.

"MOMO-CHAN, KAWAII!!" The audience roared in praise.

"This is bad. It seems like every contestant have their supporters. They must be strong." Takumi furrowed his eyebrows

"LAST BUT NOT LEAST! We have a brave contestant that came all the way from the Kanto Region! The Region that houses some of the strongest trainers in the Pokémon World, Red and Green! But he is not one of them, nor is he anyone special-" Urara's long introduction was cut off.

"HEY! Why is my introduction so long?! I can perfectly introduce myself! I am Yukihira Souma! And I am aiming to be the best chef in the world!" Souma's silhouette can be seen behind the curtains, which were not drawn.

"HEY! WHY ARE THE CURTAINS NOT DRAWN?" Souma, who had posed cooly behind the curtains complained. His bandana flowing in the direction of the air conditioned wind.

"This is so embarrassing..." Takumi facepalmed as Megumi sweatdropped.

"Uhh.. Hai! Let's draw the curtains and welcome our newbie! YUKIHIRA SOUMA!" Urara cued and the curtains are drawn.

"Boooo!!" The hall was filled with negative opinions as Souma presented himself confidently in front of everyone.

"Let's start our contest, shall we? The first one will be the Themed Round. Participants can use up to 3 Pokémon supporters. The Themed Ingredient will be... The ORAN BERRY." Urara announced as she pulled the said berry out from her pocket and showed it to the audience.

"The Oran Berry?! It's one of the berries that does not have any specific taste that stands out! How will they make the Oran Berry as the main ingredient?" Someone from the crowd exclaimed.

"Participants will have 20 minutes to brain storm and pick out their ingredients from the storage room behind. Now, START!" Urara showed the timer to the camera and clicked start.

"Gardevoir. Krokorok! Meowstic." Tsukasa, Rindou, and Momo released their Pokémon respectively.

"Wow wow wow! Look at the three top tier chefs releasing their chosen Pokémon! I wonder how many of them they would be using!" Urara relayed through the microphone.

"What Pokémon will Yukihira-san use?!" Urara brought up the tension as the audience snapped their heads to the newbie.

"Char, Saur, and Uno! I will be counting on you three!" Souma released all their three starters at once and they cheered confidently. However, the audience and Urara were at a loss of words.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! What kind of Pokémon is he using? They look weak and useless!" Someone from the crowd broke the silence and laughed.

"They're the Kanto Starters! Did he just start his journey? He looks to about 12 years old." Someone wondered.

"I bet he overestimated himself and is regretting at this moment." Another snickered.

"Yukihira! Show them what we have practiced!" Takumi said to himself as he clenched his fists at the ridicule Souma got.

"Souma-kun..." Megumi was also pissed at the insults Souma was receiving.

"Look! They're going into the pantry!" Someone pointed out. Indeed, the four contestants were heading their way to backstage, where the cameras will not follow.

...

"They look strong." Souma mumbled to himself as he entered the pantry along with the other 3. 

Souma watched as Tsukasa ordered his Gardevoir to get whatever he needed to his shopping cart. The Psychic Pokémon had no trouble fulfilling its trainer's wishes.

Similarly, Meowstic was doing the same for Momo. On the other hand, Rindou and her Krokorok were on the roll.

"Get that Krokorok! Catch this! Give me a lift!" Rindou and Krokorok were jumping and climbing all over the shelves, getting what they need with their agile limbs.

"We are strong." Souma froze as Momo walked past, not even giving him a glance. Souma frowned before giving his Pokémon a grin.

"Come on, we have no time to waste!"

...

After 20 minutes, the contestants were back to the stage, which was rearranged to have four kitchens fit into one stage.

"Now that everyone is back, let the first round BEGIN!" Urara screeched noisily as the four contestants started busily.

"KYAHH! Tsukasa-kun's Absol is out!" Some girl from the crowd commented with an annoyingly high pitch sound. Takumi widened his eyes at the beautiful white coated Pokémon. It's coat was just as white as its trainer's hair.

"Gardevoir, please help me watch the pot, will you?" Tsukasa asked gently.

"Gar~" The Psychic Pokémon sang as it continued stirring the pot.

"What? Tsukasa-san has already started boiling something?!" Urara gasped as she saw Tsukasa throwing up some Wepear berries for Absol to cut up with its horn. Following, Gardevoir used Psychic and added the chopped Wepear berries into the pot of unknown sauce.

"Kobayashi-san is firing up that pan of oil! She's... pan frying something?!" Urara brought the audience's attention to the second contestant, who only had her Krokorok out. 

"Mmmm~ I wonder what kind of batter Kobayashi-san used, it smells heavenly good!" Urara sniffed the air like a dog, melting into a puddle.

"Oooh!!!! Momo-chan is mixing some batter! She's using her Slurpuff's sense of smell to tweek the flavours! How clever of her!" An audience shouted. 

"Is the Oran Berry too overpowering?" Momo asked her Slurpuff. It shook its head.

"Great. Now on to the next step." Momo nodded.

"Looks like Akanegakubo-san is faring well! What about our newbie-san?" Urara chuckled.

"Char! It's too hot! Slow down your fire! That's enough spinning, Uno! Saur, help me keep an eye on the pot." Souma was busy prepping some ingredients as he continued his orders.

"What is he doing?" Someone questioned from the audience.

"Who knows? It doesn't look anything promising to me." His neighbour shrugged.

"Before our contestants finish their dish, let me now introduce today's judges to you!" Urara suddenly interrupted, lights flashing at the bottom of the stage, illuminating three figures sitting behind a table.

"First up, we have Shinomiya Koujiro from Kalos! He is also known as the Berries' Magician. It seems like he had some business in Slateport so we guested him." Urara read the script from her hands. The coral colored head man smirked and poked at his glasses.

"Secondly, we have Inui Hinako, also known as the Empress of the Mist, heading the restaurants in Sinnoh!" The cheerful girl chuckled slightly and waved at the audience.

"Lastly! We have one of the members of the Nakiri Family! Nakiri Erina! The up and coming top judge with her renowned God Tongue!" As soon as Urara finished her sentence, Takumi, Megumi, and Souma turned from their places.

"So the Nakiri is one of the judges here? That's good." Souma smiled, cheering his Pokémon on.

"I'm done! Me too." Tsukasa declared next to Momo. 

"The first round of taste testing is between Tsukasa-san and Akanegakubo-san! This would be a difficult match!" Urara fired up the audience as the two chefs served their dishes to the judge.

"Ladies first, Akanegakubo-san." Tsukasa bowed politely.

"Whatever." Momo flipped off cooly, opening up the spherical lid, blowing away the audience and the judges away with the unique appearance of the dish.

"It's...so cute." Hinako commented, looking at the dish with interest.

"Momo-chan made an Oran Berry Flavoured Cake and carved it into the shape of a Meowstic?!" One of the audience gasped, followed by a wave of others.

"Let us try..." The judges took a forkful of cake each and tasted it carefully.

"T-This...?!" Hinako gasped as her eyes shimmered with flowing ecstacy just by eating Momo's dish.

"Its filling is Oran Berry centered." Erina breathed as she took another forkful through the center of the cake.

"That's right. Since Oran Berry is the main ingredient, Momo decided to made it the filling." Momo clutched Bucchi tightly in her arms.

"But how does it taste so prominently? Oran Berries are known to be equal in the 5 flavour prospects except for the sweet flavour profile. This cake is sweet, but not overbearing with a hint of citrus." Hinako commented professionally.

"That's because she added a second layer. Look at the layer between the center filling and the outer layer." Shinomiya put his fork down slowly and pointed at his slice of cake.

"A mousse layer." Erina nodded understandingly.

"Shinominyan-senpai also specializes in Kalos Cuisine. He would recognize. The mousse layer in between the outer layer and the filling is uniquely Kalos. Pecha Berries are used in conjunction with the Citrus Flavour found only in Kalos so that the flavour of Pecha berries and Oran Berries would be more balanced. The Citrus Flavour is the icing on top of the cake." Momo explained calmly.

"It sounds like an Oran Berry Pokepuff that only Akanegakubo-san could make up!" Urara exclaimed, mouth watering as she slurped it back.

"It certainly is one of the best Pokepuffs I've ever eaten. I'm sure my Blissey would have enjoyed it." Hinako smiled politely as she pushed her plate away, indicating for the next dish to serve. Momo stepped back.

"That's Kalos' Cutest Patisserie for you... I hope my dish will not pale next to yours." Tsukasa moped depressingly before revealing his own dish under the spherical lid. Contrasting to his tone of voice, as soon as the lid was off, the audience and judges were marveled by the smell attacking them alone. The smell of a mix of different berries attacked their sense of olfaction, increasing their appetite in the process.

"What is this?" Shinomiya breathed expectantly.

"Hoenn is my home region. I know how to use the berries best." Tsukasa turned confident suddenly and smiled proudly.

"But Oran Berry is a common berry. It is not only unique to the Hoenn region, Tsukasa-kun." Hinako reminded with a smile.

"I know. Have a taste." Tsukasa bowed. The judges complied.

"This is Skiddo's meat, am I right? Remember, Oran Berry's the-" Erina was talking half way when Hinako gasped after taking her first bite of the meat drenched in a darkish sauce.

"Oi, woman. Don't be so dramatic." Shinomiya gave his kouhai from the same birthtown a side eye before taking a bite himself. Immediately, the coral head froze, pupils dilated as the two chefs literally melted into puddles of delicious goo.

"Have a taste, God Tongue." Tsukasa gestured. Erina shifted uncomfortably in her seat and cut a slice of meat before placing it in her mouth.

"Mmmmm~~!" She moaned silently to herself. However, her facade was calm and composed as she continued chewing.

"The flavour is so rich! What did you do, Tsukasa-kun?" Hinako asked, as she breathed heavily.

"I merely infused the Oran Berries' flavour into the Skiddo meat, using the enzymes from Pinap berries to break down the fibres of the meat faster so that the Oran Berries' can be absorbed faster and more in depth." Tsukasa explained, gaining a few gasps from the audience.

"What about the sauce? It is a mix of different kind of berries, isn't it?" Erina questioned.

"Yes. There are Wepear Berries, Kasib Berries, Chesto Berries, and Cheri Berries inside the Berry Mix Sauce." 

"The true question is, how did you make the Oran Berries stand out so much when you have used so many different berries?" Hinako asked, curious.

"Simple. I just played with the amount of each berry I used. By balancing the amount I used of each berry, the final flavour on your taste bud is not entirely balanced. It will still miss the slight sweetness of what the Oran Berry should taste like, but with all the berries I've used, it gave a richer and more wholesome flavour." Tsukasa shrugged.

"It's not a simple feat, Tsukasa Eishi. It takes lots of experience and hard work to be able to balance the flavours of berries so efficiently." Shinomiya commented.

"And that's coming from the Berries' Magician! Incredible!" Urara gasped along with the crowd.

"We have come to a conclusion!" Hinako announced suddenly after trading glances and nods from the other two judges.

"The first contestant that won the first themed round will be... TSUKASA EISHI!" With her announcement, the audience burst into a roar of excited chatter. Tsukasa's fangirls cheered with gusto while Momo's fans felt indignant for her loss.

"We will meet again, Tsukanyan." Momo said her last words before leaving the contest hall with her Slurpuff.

"Hahaha... Sure..." Tsukasa laughed nervously as he looked around awkwardly.

"Uhhh... Tsukasa-san? You can head over to the corner over there and wait for the second pair to finish their judging." Urara directed the albino to the back of the hall.

"Oh, thanks." Tsukasa nodded his thanks and rubbed his head nervously.

"Sol!" His Absol pushed him with his blade playfully from his back.

"That hurts Absol!" Tsukasa pouted as he sat down and smoothened out the fur of his beloved Pokémon.

"I'm ready to serve! Are you ready to take on Rindou's wild ride?!" Rindou's loud voice cut through Tsukasa's thoughts as the wild female spun on her heels and served the judges her dishes promptly with her Krokorok.

"Have a taste!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried. I really tried to write the food descriptions as well as I could. I hope it comes off as realistic?

**Author's Note:**

> More Characters will be coming in the future!


End file.
